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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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Class E. ^,19 
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TO THE 



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I aSE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS HAD IN REFERENOB 
TO AN APPLICATION TO 



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01 Lands, in remuneration for services, are respectfully b-V 

niitted and recommended to their especial attentior by tbe 

Committee, in the city of New York, duly appointed by 

a meeting of Officers, held on the 13th 

Marcli, A. D. 1833. 



27Z:W 1 OBK. 

PRINTED BY WILLiAM A. MERCEIN, 

No. 340 Pecrl Street. 



1833, 



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GENERAL MEETING, 

At an adjourned General Meeting of the Officers ol 
the late war, held at the Shakspeare Hotel, m the city 
of New York; Gen. Robert Swartwout, late (Quarter = 
master General in the chair, and Lieui. W. T. Wil- 
lard, Secretary, it was Resolved, That a committee 
of three be appointed, to whom shall be re-committed 
the Memorial to Congress, with powers. — Whereuponj 
Gen. Robert Swartwout, Maj. N. Nye Hall, and Lieut, 
W. T. Willard, were appointed such corhmittee. 

It was further Resolved, That said committee pre= 
pare a circular to be transmitted to the late war officers, 
embracing said Memorial : with a request that they 
take the earliest and most efficient means to cause the 
Legislatures of the respective States, to pass approba- 
tory resolutions in regard to the merits of the Memorialj 
and also urging upo;i the consideration of the Officers 
the propriety and necessity of sending a delegate or 
delegates from each State, from their own body, to 
meet at Washington at the opening of the next session 
of Congress, to enjoin upon that body the justice and 
expediency of their claims. 

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. 

At a meeting of the committee as above appointed, 
on the 15th March, present all the members, the 
Memorial was carefully revised, and is now cheerfully 
recommended to our brethren, as combining all that 
can with propriety be said on the subject. 



MSMORZAKa 



2h the Honorable the Senate and House of 

Representatives of the United States^ in 

Congress assembled. 

The Memorial of the undersigned, Committee on be 
half of the Officers of the Army of the United 
States, during the second war of independence^ 
respectfully represent and sheweth : 

That the Continental Congress, by its resolutions of 
the sixteen! h of September, one thousand seven hundred 
and seventy-six, did provide, That the officers and sol- 
diers of the war of independence should receive a bounty 
in land : That many of the States of the Union, viz : 
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland^ 
Virginia, and North Carolina, following the generous 
impulse, and appreciating ahke the services, sacrifices- 
and sufferings of the officers and soldiers, dia, from 
time to lime, provide liberal bounties in land, for their 
respective State lines in continental service. That. 
Congress did, by a resolution of the fourteenth of Au- 
gust, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six^ 
promise a bount}'" in land to those who should leave 
the armies of his Britannic Majesty in America, and 
should choose to become members of any of those 
States : That by resolutions of the twenty-third of 
April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, 
and the seventh of April, one thousand seven hundred 
and ninety-eight, Congress did provide, that refugees 
from Canada and Nova Soctia should receive bounty 
in land, and has, by various subsequent acts and regu- 
lations, carried into effect the said laws, so passed by 
its own body : That by an act of the twenty-fourth of 
December, one thousand eight hundred and eleven^ 



and the acts supplementary thereto, the same bounty 
and liberality was extended to the soldiers of the late 
war, in which the undersigned served : That by the 
second section of the act of the sixth of February, one 
thousand eight hundred and twelve, the heirs of volun= 
teer soldiers who were killed in action, or died in actual 
service of the United States, during the late war, were 
each promised one hundred and sixty acres of land : 
That underthe provisions of theactof the fifth of March, 
one thousand eight hundred andsixteen, citizens of the 
United States, who were inhabitants of Canada at the 
commencement of the late war, and who, during the 
said war, joined the armies of the United States as vo- 
lunteers, were promised bounty Umd in the following 
proportions, viz : To each colonel, nine hundred and 
sixty acres ; to each major, eight hundred acres ; to 
each captain, six hundred and forty acres ; to each sub- 
altern officer, four hundred and eighty acres ; and to 
the medical and otlier staff, according to their pay ; 
and they were authorized to locate their claims, in 
quarter sections, on any of the unappropriated lands of 
the United States. 

The undersigned have in vain sought for reasons 
which should deprive the officers of the second war of 
independence of the s?ame munificence which was 
extended by the United States, and by several of the 
States, to those of the first. They held the same stake, 
they exhibited the same valor and love of liberty, and 
although they may not, as a body, have suffered as 
much, yet their zeal was not less,, nor their exertions 
less willinsr If the soldiers of the late war, and the 
heirs of volunteers who were killed, or died, had claims 
on the bounty of the nation, why have not the officers 
whose skill and industry, by daily toil and sleepless 
TiightS; brought them into ihe field, and drilled them 

I* 



6 

Into efficiency ; or those who miaistered to thek wantSj 
€»' watched over their health, claims equally strong ? 

If citizens who abandoned the enemy of their coun- 
try, and arrayed themselves in her ranks, have met 
favor in your hails, will you be deaf to the appeal of 
'Ihose who sought the enemy on his own soil, foiled the 
discipline which conquered that fiist of warriors who 
sleeps on a distant rock 7 The undersigned presume 
to answer for your honorable body in the negative. 

Again, the officers of the late war entered the service 
of their country under many appalling circumstances ; 
they left their several employments, which were lucra- 
live, to commence a new career — a life fraught with 
uncertainty and peril ; in short, the life of a patriotic sol- 
der. They knew no motive but their country's good, 
a.cknpvvledged no criterion but success, and with a stern 
devotion, followed up the example left by their fore^ 
fathers, and to protect the sacred legacy tliat they had 
bequeathed — which had been won, and nobly won by 
men who fought in the days that tried men's souls. 

The last war, was of a different character from the. 
former: every voice from Georgia to Maine in our 
levoiutionary struggle, resounded with the battle cry 
of Liberty or Death. In the war of 1812, it was 
pronounced an unrighteous an unholy war, even from 
the sacred desk, it was condemned by a large and 
powerful minority; it required and called into action, 
moral courage for a man to wear the livery of his coun- 
?ry. The officers composing that army, were followed 
with contempt, until the battles of Bridgewater, Erie, 
md New-Orleans, showed to the nation that the same 
spirit that warmed the heroes of '76, had not departed 
from them, — and that they had left sons worthy of 
:heir fathers. 

.Another fact, relative to this subject ; the payment 



of the officers at the close of ihe war, were made in 
Treasury notes with a loss of in most instances, from 
15 to 20 per cent. 

The justice of their claim, and encouraged by the 
many precedents in their favor, and the further con- 
sideration that the laws did not allow them to share 
in the capture of munitions of war, and other valu- 
able public stores, they appeal with confidence to your 
liberality, and to the gratitude of the nation at this 
auspicious period of their country's history, and pray 
that lands may be granted to those officers of the late 
war who served to ils close, and to the heirs of those 
who were killed or died in service in proportions at 
least equal to the quantites allowed to the Canadian 
volunteers, and that they be permitted to locate theii 
claims on any of the unappropriated lands of the Uni- 
ted States, or to file their warrants in payment of any 
lands which have hitherto been purchased from the 
United States and now remain unpaid for. 

And your memorialists furth: r beg leave respectfully 
to suggest, that many of the officers of the late war 
were entitled to promotion long previous to the close of 
the war ; but, although in many cases they discharged 
auties in a higher grade than they received pay for, yet 
inconsequence of the numerous vacancies not having 
been filled up by promotions, they left the army in 
many cases in the same grade in which they enter- 
ed it, arising, in part, from a consolidation of the old 
peace establishment with the army of twenty-five 
thousand, raised in one thousand eight hundred and 
twelve, central y to the expectations of the officers of 
that army. 

And your memorialists conceive, that if the foregoing 
prayer be granted, it would not be unreasonable to ask 
a proportion of land for each officer according to the 



grade he of right was entitled to, had the vacancies 
been filled up at the close of the late war. 

As in duty bound, your memorialists will ever pray. 

ROBT. SWARTWOUT, ) committee in hc^ 
N. NYE HAlX. • ) half of the Officers 

W. T. WILLARD, ) "-^ ^^^ ^"^^^ ^^"'^• 

March 15 18;i3. 



CIRCULAR. 

Your attention is called particularly to that part of 
ihe resolution, urging the passage of approbatory rC' 
solves by the various State Legislatures, and also the ap- 
pointment of one of your own body from each state to 
meet at Washington city to prosecute the matter to a 
close. Upon these two points the connnittee are ur- 
gent as a last means of sure success. Congress are as 
willing as they are able to do us justice, when we shall 
present our claims in a proper form before them. 

A favorable report with a bill accompanying was 
made to Congress in 1816, by Col. R. M. Johnson 
Chairman of committee, also another favourable report 
and resolution ir\,l826, by Col. D. P. Cook, Chairman 
of a select committee appointed for that purpose as fol- 
lows : 

"May 17, 1826, Mr. Cook, from the select committee 
to which was referred the petition of sundry officers of 
the army of the late war; made a report accompanied 
with the following resolution. Resolved, That it is* 
expedient to make provisions by law for granting to 
each of the officers of the army, who served during the 
late war, a quantity of land according to their rank, a? 
Bs remuneration for their sacrifices, sufferings and faith 
fn\ services." 



9 

That it is expedient that the officers of the late war. 
whether in or out of service, co-operate with all theii 
influence, in the object of the petitions presented tc 
Congress in their behalf : and that it be recommend- 
ed to them to hold meetings at their respective posts, 
or in their respective congressional districts, and to 
forward to the seat of government concurrent memori- 
als, and letters to members of Congress, and to such 
distinguished officers as are residents or may be at the 
seat of goverment during the next session of Congress 
Committees may be appointed to correspond with this 
Committee. 

That the officers interested in the result of the claim^ 
being all those who served to the close of the late 
war^ whether of the staff or line, or whether now in 
01' out of the service, be requested to pay into the hands 
of, or remit to the Treasurer of this association, such sum 
as they can appropriate towards defraying the expenses 
of printing", postages, and other necessary incidental 
charges. 

The Secretary (who is also Treasurer) will prompt- 
ly at all times give any information, requested relating 
to the doings of the association or the progress of oui 

cause. 

* 

All which is respectfully submitted, 

ROBT SWARTWOUT, ) C^ommt^eeo/ 

N. NYE HALL, ^^!'^. 

W. T. WILLARD, ) War officers. 

New York City, ) I ''' 
March Ibth, 1833. i 



10 

Schedule of allowances of lands heretofore made 
by Congress and several of the States, to their troops. 

Resolutions of the l^th and 27th Aug. 1776. 

To a colonel, 1,000 

a Heutenant colonel, 800 

a major, 60D 

a captain, 400 



a lieutenant, 


300 


an ensign. 


200 


Resolutions of the I6th Sept. 1776. 




To a major general, 


1,100 


a brigadier general, 


850 


a director of hospital, 


500 


a colonel, 


500 


a chief physician and purveyor-general. 


450 


a lieutenant colonel. 


450 


a physician, surgeon, and apothecary. 


400 


a major, 


400 


a reg. sur. ass. to purv. and apothecary, 


300 


a captain, 


300 


a hospital reg. surgeon's mate, 


200 


a lieutenant, 


200 


an ensign, 


150 


Massachusetts, 


Quantities not ascertained with precision. 


» 


Neto York. 


To a major general. 


5,500 


a brigadier general, 


4,250 


a colonel. 


2,500 


a lieutenant colonel, 


2,350 



11 

a major, 2,oC!^ 

a captain or regimental surgeon, 1^500 

every subaltern and surgeon's mate, 1,000 

Pennsylvania. 

To a major general, 2 000 

a brigadier general, I'sOQ 



a colonel, 



1,000 



a lieutenant colonel, VsO 

surgeons, majors, and chaplains, each 600 

a captain, - 500 

a lieutenant, 300 

Maryland^ 

Alike to officers of all grades, 200 

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Virginia. 

To a major general, I5 qoO 

a brigadier general, lojoOO 

a colonel, 5^000 

a lieutenant colonel, 4 500 

a major, 4'ooo 

a captam, 3,000 

a subaltern, 2,000 
By an act of October, 1778, one third was added to 

those quantities, and by another act one sixth more, 

North-Carolina, 

To a brigadier general ' 12 000 

a colonel, lieut. col. com't. or chaplain, 7'200 

a lieutenant colonel, 5 7(30 

a major or surgeon, 4 goO 

a captain, 3'g40 
a surgeon's n.ate, ^ 2,560 

a subaltern, 2,500 




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